Railway-switch



(No Model.)

A. A. ACKERLY. RAILWAY SWITCH. No. 405,977. Patented June 25, 1889.

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UNITED STATES ATENT OEEIcE.

AARON A. ACKERLY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

RAI LWAY-SWITCH.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 405,977, dated J' une 25, 1889.

Application filed October 17, 1888. Serial No. 288,398. (No model.)

To @ZZ whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, AARON A. ACKERLY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Railway-Switches, which is fully set forth in the following specification, reference being had to the accompany ing drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a plan view of a construction embodying my invention; Fig. 2, a detailplan view of one et' the bell-crank levers detached; Fig. 3, a similar view of a modified form of bell-crank lever; Fig. l, a detail elevation of a portion ot the same; Fig. 5, a sectional view taken on the line l l of Fig. 4; Fig. (i, a detail elevation illustrating the safety device, and Fig. 7 a detail sectional viewtaken on the line 2 2 of Fig. 3.

Like letters refer to like parts in allthe Hgures of the drawings.

My invention relates to railway-switches, and is in the nature of an improvement upon the construction set forth in an application filed by me July ll, 1888, Serial No. 279,636.

The object of my present invention is to improve the construction and operation of the apparatus set forth in said prior application, so as to render the same more e'llicient and safe.

To these ends my invention consists in certain novel features, which I will now proceed to describe, and will then particularly point out in the claims.

In the drawings, A and A represent, respectively, the two rails or series of rails composing the main line, and B and B the two rails or series of rails composing the branch line or siding. The switch-rails for connecting the main line with either of these lines are shown at O and C, said switch-rails bein g free to move laterally in the manner usual in switches of this construction and being connected by means of tie-bars c.

The main-line rails A and siding-rails B meet each other in pairs at the point where the track-crossing is located7 and wherein the ordinary construction a frog is employed to effect this crossing. In order to dispense with this frog I make one of these pairs of rails laterally movable, andin the presenti nstanee I have shown that pair as movable which is located farthest away from the switch. The movable main line A is continued to a point opposite the end of the Iixed main line A', while the movable siding-rail B is beveled ott' at its end to Ht against the side of the movable main-line rail, and is securely bolted or otherwise firmly connected thereto. The angle formed by the divergence of these rails is occupied by a iillin g A2 of wood or other suitable material, which not only serves to iill the said space, and thus prevent any one from having his vtoot caught in the said space, but also acts as a firm brace to hold the two movable rails in proper relative position at their free ends. The movable rail A is enabled to move laterally either through the elasticity of the rail itself or through a suitable loose connection at its end `farthest away from the track-crossing.

Since the rails A and B diverge, there will naturally be a differential movement between them. This movement was accommodated in my prior application at the point where the two rails meet; but as I deem a solid connection better at this point I have devised a construction whereby this movement is accommodated at the other end of the rail B. To eii'ect this result I connect the movable rail '3' to the abutting ixed rail B by means of fish-bars I), which are bolted to the end of the 'lixed rail B, and are connected to the end of the movable rail B by means of bolts CZ, which pass through slots l) in the said movable rail, shown in Figs. 4E and 5. A sleeve or thimble d is mounted on the bolt d between the Iish-bars I), and serves to keep the said bars from frictional contact with the rail B, thus allowing the said rail longitudinal play with respect to the bars. This play is sufficient to allow for the differential movement of the two rails A and B and in order to hold the rail B more firmly in position suitable chairs E are employed at this joint. F indicates the switch-stand, provided with a vertical rock-shaft F having a handle-lever f, by means oi' which it may be operated. The construction and arrangement of this stand are substantially identical with that shown and described in my prior application, and therefore need no detailed description here. A

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- flanges 7L'.

connecting-rod f' serves to operate the crossing-rails A and B', as in my said former application, and a second connecting-rod f2 leads from the switch-stand to alever F2, pivoted on one of the ties. Another connectingrod f 3 leads from the other end of said lever to a bell-crank lever F3, pivoted on one of the ties at the end of the switch-rails C and C', and the other end of said bell-crank lever F3 is provided with a con necting-rod fl, which is connected to said switch-rails to operate them simultaneously with the crossing-rails, as in my said prior application.

G indicates the lock, and G' the hand-lever controlling the same, these parts and their various mechanisms being constructed as in I my prior application hereinbefore referred to. A connecting-rod g, controlled by the lever G', leads from the switch-stand to a threearmed lever G2, to one arm of which it is connected. To another arm of the three-armed lever G2 is pivoted a rod G3, which is connected to the lock G by means of a bellcrank g' and link g2. The other end of the rod G3 is connected to a bell-crank lever G".

H and H' represent safety-slides connected, respectively, to the siding-rail Band main line A', and' extending from the switch-rails to the crossing-rails, or to a point in line with the crossing. These slides rest normally in such a position that their tops are on a level with or slightly below the tops of their respective rails. Each slide is provided with a laterally-projecting flange h, which may be either continuous or in sections, as shown, and with a series of downwardly-extending Each flange 71,' is provided with an inclined slot h2, through which passes a bolt or pin h3, secured to the rail. The slide H is connected to the third arm of the three-armed lever G2 by means of a connecting-rod H2,'and the slide H' is similarly connected to the bellcrank lever G4 by means of a connecting-rod H3. The purpose of these slides is as follows: Let it be supposed that a car or the wheels of a car have passed from the switch-rails C C' to the main rails A A. If the switch be thrown before the said wheels reach and pass the crossing, it will be obvious that they will leave the track at this point. The connection of the slides H and II with the handle-lever G', which operates the lock, is suoli, however, that When the handle-lever is thrown into position to open the lock and permit the switch to be turned the said slides project above the rails, and it will at once be seen that if any wheels are upon the rails A' or B the handle-lever G' cannot be turned to unlock the lock, and consequently the switch cannot be thrown so long as there are any wheels standing or moving upon the rails A' or B between the switch-rails and crossing.

In order to provide for the taking up of the wear which is likely to occur through the continuous usage of the mechanism j ust described, I provide means for this purpose, in connection with any or all of the various bell-crank and other levers to which the connecting-rod is attached. As an illustration of this connection, take the bell-crank lever F3,which is shown in detail in Figs. 2 and 3 of the drawings. This bell-crank lever is pivoted at fi, and the pivot i', to which the connecting-rod f3 is attached, is mounted eccentrically in a disk or roller I, which is in turn mounted in the bell-crank lever F3, and is capable of being rotated therein, being secured in any desired position by means of a set-screw i2. It will be observed that the disk or roller I may be turned so as to bring the pivot t" farther away from the pivot e, and thus practically increase the length of the lever, and thereby take up any wear which may occur. The pivot t3 of the connecting-rod f4 is similarly mounted in a disk I'.

In the construction shown in Fig. 3 of the drawings, the lever I3 is provided at its ends with longitudinal slots j, in which are mounted blocks J ,capable of sliding longitudinally therein, the said blocks carrying the pivots t" and 713, as in the construction just described. These blocks may, obviously, be moved farther from or nearer to the pivot of the lever F3, and may be secured after adjustment by set-screws 2. It will be observed that a means is thus provided for varying the length of the Various levers, and thereby taking up `all wear which may occur in the connections, thus assuring a full throw of the switch and crossing rails at each movement of the operating-lever.

It is obvious that various modifications in the details of construction and arrangement of the parts may be made without departing from the principle of my invention, and I therefore do not wish to be understood as limiting myself strictly to the precise details hereinbefore described, and shown in the drawings.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to securg by Letters Patent, is-

l. The combination, with the laterallymovable main rail A, of the laterally-movable siding-rail B', rigidly connected to said rail A at its front end, the fixed siding-rail B, the sh-plates D, and the bolts d, connecting said fish-plates and provided with sleeves or thimbles d', said plates passing through suitable slots l) in the movable rail B', substantially as and for the purposes specified.

2. rlhe combination, with the laterallymovable crossing-rails A and B', rigidly connected at their meeting ends, of the filling A2, of wood or other suitable material, secured in the angle between said rails, substantially as and for the purposes specified.

3. The combination, with the laterallymovable switch and crossing rails and their operating mechanism, of locking mechanism for securing the same in position, and guardslides connected to the fixed main and siding rails between the switch and crossing rails and controlled by the locking mechanism,

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substantially as and for the purposes specified.

4. The Combination, Wit-h l[he look G, link` connected to said levers being,` adjustable toward and from the fulorum of the lever, substantially as and for the purposes specified.

6. The combination, with the laterallymovable Switch-rails C and their operatingzo lever, of the connecting-rods, the intermediate lever F, provided with slots j, the blocks J, mounted in said slots aud adjustable therein, securing' devices for said blocks, and the pivots It" and i3, mounted in said blocks, sub- 25 stantially as and for the purposesspeeied.

AARON A. ACKERLY. iVitnesses:

CARRIE FEIGEL, IRVINE MILLER. 

